Battle of Wonsan
The Battle of Wonsan was the first major armed conflict in the Second Korean War, starting off a major conflict going on for the last two months, taking place in the North Korean city of Wonsan. While it disrupted operations of Hanguk-Nippon's largest newspaper, the Wonsan Press, as well as displacing thousands of civilians, it helped protect eastern South Korea from further North Gwongpyeongian attacks. Prelude North Gwongpyeongian Army Movement The North Gwongpyeongian government is actually a rebel group that had taken over wikipedia:Pyongyang. As such, most of its soldiers are common citizens who've decided to "liberate" their country from Hanguk-Nipponese rule. It should be expected then that their movements are rather disorganised compared to that of regular soldiers. After the Occupation of Pyongyang by Sakhalinsk troops, the North Gwongpyeongian army split up in three directions: one force moved southwest to Nampo; another went north to Kaechon; and the last, the one in question, moved east, supposedly to regroup with the army already marching to Hamhung. The March to the East Starting 24 October, the eastward moving North Gwongpyeongian army followed the Chaeryong River, before reaching the Pyongyang-Wonsan Highway and following it to Wonsan. It is said that the plans were adjusted due to Hamhung being too far. During this time, it is speculated that the North Gwongpyeongian army pillaged any settlements in their path, such as the village of Sinpyong, the only named one. They also hunted in the forests they encountered in the march, which is to be expected. The Battle Occupation of Wonsan On the 30th of October, the North Gwongpyeongian forces reached Wonsan, which at the time was still controlled by Hanguk-Nippon. Immediately the forces were said to have looted all the shops and murdered numerous civilians, with the local police force there unable to defeat them. Shortly after taking over the city, the headquarters of the Wonsan Press was used as a military base for the troops. The radio tower in the Wonsan Press' ownership was used by the forces as a contact to the Hamhung-bound forces further north, but they did not respond so they remained in the city. Barricades were put up along the southern side, since the forces anticipated an attack from the south, and then the North Gwongpyeongian flag was hoisted over the city hall and the Kalma Airport military training ground. bombed railways going to South Korea to prevent sneak attacks.]] The next day, the railway connecting to South Korea was destroyed in order to prevent more sneak attacks. More homes and stores were looted, with some more civilians either captured or killed, and numerous pro-Hanguk-Nipponese relics (such as the statue of Emperor Hyo in the town square) were destroyed. The Sakhalinsk Empire Retaliates On 1 November, spies finally bring word to Sakhalinsk forces stationed in the DMZ about the railway bombing and the supposed occupation of Wonsan. Immediately, three armies - about 30,000 - were ordered by General Hashimoto Kojuro to defend the city. All three rushed to Wonsan via the remaining railway and stopped near Kosan to the south. Continuing by motor vehicles, they reached the village of Anbyon on 3 November, when North Gwongpyeongian soldiers quickly reacted by detonating numerous small bombs, killing about a hundred and disorganising the army. The Sakhalinsk forces fell back further south in the mountains, hiding in a good defensive position. Aside from the initial fallback, the Sakhalinsk troops successfully outgunned the North Gwongpyeongian army, pushing north past Anbyon to Galma Train Station. Through using similar tactics as theirs, a modified version of guerrilla warfare, they continued to push their occupation further back north. Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, as they still retained control of Kalma Airport and the northern half of the city with good barricades put in place. Wonsan Press Recovery On 5 November, a small group of soldiers were tasked by Hashimoto Kojuro to recover files from the Wonsan Press headquarters. As mentioned above, this also happened to be the headquarters of the North Gwongpyeongian forces stationed there, and upon recovering the files the leaders of the North Gwongpyeongian force were successfully neutralised. Hanguk-Nippon Arrives On 4 November, assistance was sent from Galma Train Station to the Hanguk-Nipponese army. From their base in Yodok, they drove through the mountains and reached Munchon on 6 November, from where they flanked the North Gwongpyeongian forces. Due to being unprotected from the north and the south, and the east being sea, they had no place to go and much of their forces were killed or captured. By 8 November, the rest of their army had fled west to a defensive position in the mountains, hoping to recover and heal before joining the Hamhung force. (Un)fortunately, they were tracked down by the combined Hanguk-Nipponese and Sakhalinsk forces, leading to the Battle of Masik Pass. Aftermath While the damage done to Wonsan was extreme, further occupation by North Gwongpyeong is speculated to be a near complete devastation of the city. Many citizens either died or were captured but the majority escaped; even a few more days of occupation and the North Gwongpyeongian forces would've harmed much more. In terms of the grand strategy, the retaking of Wonsan helped prevent the resupply of Hamhung-bound North Gwongpyeongian forces, who were at Kumya at the time. It also protected the eastern end of the former DMZ, further protecting South Korea. Category:Battles